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Hollyn Oates stumbled slightly, her feet getting tangled up as she maintained eye contact. She swiped a hand across her forehead to push her hair out of her eyes and narrowed her focus on the grinning face across from her. As she circled her opponent, she noted that he was three times her size.
How the hell was she supposed to take him down?
Normally, she could use her siren’s song to mesmerize a male attacker long enough to knock his feet out from under him, but this was no ordinary man. This was General Mako, an underwater dweller, one of Poseidon’s trusted warriors, and one of the few males resistant to her singing ability. It was downright infuriating for someone like Hollyn who had developed a confidence in how to handle herself. Now, she was literally and figuratively out of her element.
He waved a meaty set of fingers in a come here motion as he said, “Come on, little siren, let’s see what you got.”
He wanted to see her attack skills. Attack skills that consisted of a whole lot of nothing lately, but she had to try something. If she was going to take on her warlock father, Grigori, before hecaught up to her and imprisoned her for the rest of her life, she needed togetsomething.
Every muscle in her body tensed as she gave a small cry and lunged for the General’s thigh. She leaped and planted a foot on his upper leg as she wrapped an arm around his left shoulder and used it to swing around behind him, successfully launching herself onto his back. His hands swiped at her, but she moved quickly enough to avoid being grabbed. With speed she knew was her only advantage, she wrapped her legs around his torso and squeezed tightly to make herself almost impossible to remove. Next, she wrapped her entire right arm around his neck and locked her other hand onto her wrist as she began to tighten her grip. She was like a little monkey ready to bring him to the ground.
Yet, before he felt even a moment of lack of oxygen, she felt his arms reach overhead and grab her by her shirt. With one, strong yank, he pulled her off of him, over his head, and slammed her to the ground. Any and all air left her lungs in a rush. Pain radiated through her back into her extremities as she regained her senses.
“That’s enough!” She heard Kai’s voice from a distance, but it didn’t take long for him to reach her as he hovered above her.
He knelt down and, in a whisper, asked, “Are you okay? Do we need to take you to the medic?”
Frustration and embarrassment began to replace the agony of hitting the ground, and she lashed out in misplaced anger.
“Let me up! I’m fine. I don’t need you to rush in every time I hit the ground.”
A look of confusion mixed with hurt covered Kai’s face, and Hollyn nearly caved to the guilt that began to hover at the back of her brain.
“Well, stop hitting the ground so hard, and I’ll stop worrying about you.”
“It’s not like I have control of that, now do I?”
General Mako called out, “Control? Now there’s an idea? Do you really think control is how you win a fight against a bigger, stronger opponent?” He laughed loudly. “I think you need to let go of the idea that you can control everything and that that’s the only way you’re going to come out on top.”
Kai reached out a hand, and Hollyn begrudgingly took it, letting him pull her to her feet.
“That makes no sense. Letting go of control? You might as well tell me to stop eating or to stop breathing. I need to gain control, especially over my magic.”
Hollyn held out her hand and a small wave of water formed and then dissipated almost as quickly as it came. She shook her head in disappointment. “I think I’m a lost cause.”
Kai wrapped his arms around Hollyn, pulling her against his chest. She let him hold her for a moment before stepping out of his hold. Again, a sad confusion crossed his features.
Poseidon’s booming voice sounded behind all of them as he said, “You need to visit the Sea Witch. If anyone in my oceans knows about magic, it’s her.”
“I’m willing to try anything at this point. Where can I find her?”
“I can go with her,” Kai volunteered.
Poseidon stood straight, pulling his shoulders back. “Actually, son, I was hoping to take you on a tour of the kingdom and introduce you to Triton, your half-brother.”
Hollyn was sure Kai would want to meet a sibling, but he shook his head and said, “Wherever Hollyn goes, I go.”
She turned to him and placed a hand on his chest. He moved to hold it in his own hand as their gazes met. Hollyn’s heartbeat picked up. She struggled to breathe when he stared at her so directly.
She swallowed twice before she said, “It’s okay. I think you should stay and meet your siblings. I will learn what I need to learn and be back in no time.”
For a moment, he looked so unsure. Then, he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, sending a sensation of tingles down her spine. “If you’re sure?”
It took a second for his question to register, but once it did, she nodded her head and reassured him. “Of course. I’ll be fine, and you would likely be bored out of your mind waiting around for me to move water around with my hands. I hope I can stay awake long enough to become a badass.”
He chuckled. “You’re already a badass.”
